{"id":117539,"date":"2017-09-13T03:54:58","date_gmt":"2017-09-13T07:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=117539"},"modified":"2017-09-13T04:04:41","modified_gmt":"2017-09-13T08:04:41","slug":"kid-rock-opens-detroit-arena-with-no-political-announcement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2017\/09\/13\/kid-rock-opens-detroit-arena-with-no-political-announcement\/","title":{"rendered":"Kid Rock opens Detroit arena with no political announcement"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Kid<\/a>
Kid Rock(Photo by Nightshooter..Attribution: Photo Credit: Larry Philpot of www.soundstagephotography.com . – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

DETROIT \u2014 In the end, the political aspirations of musician Kid Rock were not laid bare Tuesday night before thousands of screaming fans when the rocker performed the first of six concerts at a new sports arena in Detroit.<\/p>\n

For much of the summer, the Detroit-area native has teased a Republican run for the U.S. Senate. He continued doing so at the concert but did not say if he would enter the race.<\/p>\n

Kid Rock’s real name is Robert Ritchie. It is not clear which name could appear on the ballot if he runs \u2014 something that might make a difference in how well he would do.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Robert Ritchie were to submit enough valid signatures to make the ballot and he indicated that he wanted to be listed as ‘Kid Rock’ in some way on the ballot, Bureau of Elections staff would have to research further the question of whether that name would be allowed,\u201d Fred Woodhmans, a spokesman for the Michigan secretary of state’s office told The Associated Press in an email.<\/p>\n

Already, two Republicans have declared their candidacies for incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s seat. Stabenow, who easily won re-election in 2006 and 2012, will seek a fourth term and is expected to formally launch her campaign next year.<\/p>\n

Kid Rock \u2014who first gained commercial success in the late 1990s with rap rock music but has been more associated with country music in recent years \u2014 has not been bashful about his political leanings. He endorsed Republican Mitt Romney for president in 2012 and Republican Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign.<\/p>\n

He hinted on social media in July that a website teasing his candidacy for Senate was real. His publicist said Kid Rock would give fans exclusive insight on his political views and aspirations after his first song Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena, sparking speculation that he might become a candidate at the new home for the NHL’s Red Wings and the NBA’s Pistons. Yet his obscenity-laced speech mirrored one he gave last week at a concert in Grand Rapids, Michigan.<\/p>\n

He was introduced as Michigan’s \u201cnext senator\u201d and talked about running for president. He criticized the government’s \u201credistribution of wealth\u201d to help \u201csome deadbeat milking the system\u201d and said he has no problem with gay marriage. He blasted Nazis and the KKK and said he loves black and white people \u201cbut neither as much as I love red, white and blue.\u201d<\/p>\n

His appearance was met by dozens of protesters from a civil rights group. One counter-demonstrator held a Confederate flag.<\/p>\n

The National Action Network’s Detroit chapter said Kid Rock’s embrace of the Confederate flag, expletive-laced criticism of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and unabashed support for Trump have no place in Detroit, where about 80 per cent of the city’s 680,000 residents are black. Kaepernick, who is black, refused to stand during the national anthem while with the San Francisco 49ers last year in protest of police violence and social injustice.<\/p>\n

Kid Rock, who is white, lashed out Monday at National Action Network in a Facebook post, saying politics are behind the threatened protest.<\/p>\n

\u201cPay NO attention to the garbage the extreme left is trying to create!\u201d he wrote. \u201cThey are trying to use the old confederate flag (issue), etc. to stir the pot, when we all know none of this would be going on if I were not thinking of running for office.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday that Kid Rock denied the newspaper credentials to the show because of a recent column that criticized having the musician as the arena’s opening act.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won’t reward bad behaviour,\u201d Kid Rock’s publicist, Kirt Webster, told the newspaper.<\/p>\n

To make the 2018 ballot, Kid Rock would need to submit 15,000 valid signatures by April 24.<\/p>\n

Pollster Ed Sarpolus of Target-Insyght said Kid Rock is better positioned than other GOP candidates for now because \u201che’s got name ID and he’s likable.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two declared Republican candidates are former state Supreme Court Justice Robert Young Jr. and businesswoman Lena Epstein. No one has filed to run for the Senate seat, Woodhams said.<\/p>\n

If Kid Rock were to advance to face Stabenow, Sarpolus said, it would be tough to beat her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere the battle’s going to be played is where do the independents go were he to run?\u201d Sarpolus said. \u201cBoth have known numbers. This is a battle of the fringes.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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